Kong Hyung-Jin

Oh, where to start? There were chunks of this show that were pointlessly dragged out. I mean, we could have edited the first seven episodes into one episode and gotten the same point. There were also chunks of this show that were quality melodrama, with the right amount of intrigue and romance to suit any melodrama fan (eps 8-20ish). And then it just keep going… and going… my God, why did it keep going? There were probably 16 episodes of quality drama strung out into 50 long, tedious episodes. I fail to understand the justification for taking this exasperating approach to the story. I honestly want to take this drama through a video editing program and re-release it, because the idea was marvelous, the execution however murdered the show.

Plotline (condensed version): A married couple struggles to find common ground after the horrible death of their precious daughter. She turns colder, he grows distant. He gets swept up into the arms of a younger woman, seeking an escape – and runs off to America with his new sweetie. Meanwhile, his wife is in a fateful accident and presumed dead. She survives, however, with total amnesia and is mistaken for another woman and adopted into this doppleganger’s life. Who is this other woman? Well, her long lost twin… a whistleblower whose life had been destroyed trying to take down a giant pharmaceutical company for unethical practices. She runs off to China for several years, only to return under a fake name when her daughter’s illness requires specialized care. How long can these twins live in the same town before their true identities are revealed? Can our married couple find a way to mend their burned bridges, or are they destined to be with the people who have taken them into their lives and poured their love on them? Will the big pharma company face justice? Will the twins finally learn they are not alone in the world?

It’s quality melodrama ruined by a lengthy run time. What a shame. So many adorable children in this show! So many fun ideas bogged down by pointless plot extension. Such wickedly fun characters (the wife of the stepson, in particular, hands down one of the most enjoyable bitches I’ve seen in years!) and exciting family dynamics. So many laughs and sighs and potential – ruined! Oh, the waste! The humanity! Why?! (weeps for the loss of what should have been a new favorite drama)

A perfect, classic romantic melodrama! I say classic in that it got everything right – the pacing, the tropes, the love triangles, the side characters, the mysteries, the music (was stellar, great soundtrack), and the sigh inducing love story. Just… Achingly romantic story of first love… overcoming an obscene amount of obstacles – just thrown at them one by one. Oh, the drama! Oh, the tears! Oh, the ridiculous joyously fun circles of coincidence and fate and connections. God, I love melodramas. It’s my favorite genre, so when I find a great melodrama it’s like a gift addressed to me. Romantic melodramas are my favorite of course, because then you have the painful separations, the smoldering, the aching between two people as they are yanked apart over and over. Sigh. I ate that mess up. Plus this drama balanced out all the sadness with lots of light hearted moments, comedy, exciting work stories, side stories, and more. It was so well rounded! I adored it!

This drama had two attractive leads: Lee Sang Yoon was mesmerizing as the die hard for love… it was impossible not to fall head over heels in love with this guy… and Gu Hye Sun was adorable, plucky, and proved she could also bring it to the melodrama table with some outstanding emotional performances. I also loved the teen versions of these two, whose story took place in the first two episodes. Kang Ha-Neul and Nam Ji-Hyun were sooo cute together.